Effects of geometrical dimensions on the response of resonating microcantilevers in the vicinity of a surface

Application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in liquid is necessary for imaging and manipulation of biological specimens. Frequency response of an AFM cantilever immersed in liquid near a surface depends on liquid and cantilever mechanical properties, cantilever geometrical dimensions and also the distance between cantilever and surface. The formulas of wet quality factor and wet resonance frequency and resonance amplitude are extracted based on the modal method with the first mode and by simulation of the oscillatory motion of microcantilevers. The effects of cantilever geometrical dimensions on the amount of the microcantilever resonance frequency, the amplitude of the peak and the quality factor of the vibration are observed. This knowledge can help in choosing appropriate parameters for AFM cantilevers in liquid environment.